35 Amazing Picture Books For Adults That Will Warm Your Heart

Even as an adult, when I read picture books to my young child I smile with delight and joy. Sometimes I even catch myself reading some of our favorite picture books after my daughter goes to sleep. In honor of the pictures books that make us giddy, give us an education and teach us how to become better people, here are 35 amazing picture books for adults that will warm your heart.

1. The Pilot and the Little Prince: The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, by Peter Sis

Sis’s book illuminates the life of French pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, creator of The Little Prince. This epic tale of adventure follows Saint-Exupéry as he grows from a fatherless child to pioneer of flight.

2. The Heart and the Bottle, by Oliver Jeffers

For anyone who has ever suffered the loss of a close person, Jeffers’s book captures the journey from loss of innocence to the revitalization of the soul.

3. LaRue Across America: Post Cards From the Vacation, by Mark Teague

Gertrude LaRue and her canine companion, Ike, take a road trip through the heartland of American with two cats in tow. The delightful illustrations give us a fun sense of wonder and show us some of the great landscape and adventures found throughout the United States.

4. New Big House, by Debi Gliori

It is never fun outgrowing a small house. But Gliori’s story guides us through the great adventure of searching for a new house, renovating a small house, and settling into a big, new, wonderful home.

5. Seasons, by Blexbolex

This boldly illustrated book takes the reader through the symphony of the four seasons. It captures the great moments of winter, spring, summer and fall with fascinating simplicity.

6. MAPS, by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski

MAPS is an aesthetically pleasing, antique-type depiction of various countries’ borders and topography. The book also includes interesting information about various countries’ culture

7. Slim and Miss Prim, by Robert Kinerk, illustrations by Jim Harris

Advertising

Slim, a strong but shy cowboy, is secretly in love with ranch owner Marigold Prim. After both Slim and her cattle are stolen, Miss Prim travels through the majestic imagery of the Wild West to rescue them. After his rescue, Slim gets up the courage to marry Miss Prim.

8. Bentley and Blueberry, by Randy Houk

Blueberry is a lonely stray dog sitting in a shelter waiting for a family. Bentley is loved but lonely puppy. When the two meet, it brings mayhem and happiness to their owner Ms. Moody’s life. This book is based upon a true story.

9. Olivia, by Ian Falconer

Every Olivia book is a delightful journey into the mind of a young girl. With simple but character-filled illustrations, every one of Olivia’s adventures – whether real or imaginary – are fun.

10. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

This poetic tale of a day at the zoo depicts Eric Carle’s amazing creativity, coupled with Bill Martin’s sense of rhyme for an enjoyable exploration through the eyes of animals.

11. Corduroy, by Don Freeman

Corduroy – a little bear all alone on a department store shelf – finds the love of a young girl, only to be abandoned because of his broken overalls. Corduroy ventures off his shelf to find a button to fix his overalls, but despite his escapades through the department store, he cannot fix them. In the end, the young girl’s love brings her back to buy the broken bear. This heartwarming tale has been loved by generations.

12. Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg

Jumanji – the only board game that literally sucks you in – is an amazing jungle adventure that comes to life and symbolizes a son’s conflict with his father and his transformation into adulthood.

13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl

In its 50th year, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still celebrating the unlikely friendship between Charlie Bucket – a boy living in abject poverty – and Willy Wonka – the successful chocolatier without a family. This tale of love, triumph and family continues to amaze children from five to 95.

14. Give Thanks for Each Day, by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Robert McPhillips

Advertising

This heartwarming poem illustrates the beauty of giving thanks for the simple things in life.

15. Little Bea and the Snowy Day, by Daniel Roode

Little Bea and her friends show us the many ways we can have fun playing on a snowy day.

16. A Fine Picnic, by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Leon Baxter

When the family picnic gets rained out, Jack’s family doesn’t let the showers spoil their outing. With the picnic basket, thermoses, rain jackets and a bit of imagination, Jack’s family makes their home into a perfect park land for a picnic.

17. The River, by Alessandro Sanna

The very talented Alessandro Sanna takes us through the seasons with divine watercolor pictorials of each season’s special burst of color and flair.

18. Fox, by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Ron Brooks

Another amazing illustrated book, this story explores the wonderful side of friendship and the dark side of jealousy.

19. FArTHER, by Grahame Baker-Smith

FArTHER is a heartwarming story about how the bonds between father and son are hard to break, even when death tears them apart. Yet another amazing illustrated book, the story follows a young man who loses his father during the war and then proceeds to honor his father’s dream of flying.

20. Voices in the Park, by Anthony Browne

Sometimes seeing the world from another person’s point of view can be difficult. Voices in the Park enlightens adults and children alike on how to see life from another person’s perspective and how to look beyond our own prejudice.

21. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, by William Joyce, illustrated with Joe Bluhm

Advertising

An amazing book about loving books made for book lovers of all ages.

22. Frankenstein, by Rick Walton, illustrated by Nathan Hale

Walton’s parody of Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline features a not-so-scary Frankenstein encompassing the fun spirit of Halloween.

23. Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the Next Generation, by Ann Droyd

A parody of Goodnight Moon, Goodnight iPad pokes fun at the human race’s inability to unplug – ever. It’s also a good reason to put down the mobile device and pick up a book.

24. Lights Out!, by John Himmelman

Himmelman’s book is for moms, dads and sisters who have always wanted to know what really goes on at Boy Scout Camp, or for Boy Scouts who want to remember the silly stuff that makes camp so memorable.

25. What Moms Can’t Do, by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Doug Cushman

This heartwarming tale is about the everyday tasks that moms can’t seem to accomplish – such as keeping the house clean or hearing herself think – told from a kids’ point of view. But in the end, every kid knows that what mom does best is love them.

Mini the pilgrim is a kind soul looking to help out those she loves, but she cannot seem to find anyone who is in need of her help. Eventually, Mini finds a girl who is in need of her friendship.

27. When Lucy Goes Out Walking, by Ashley Wolff

We follow lovable puppy Lucy through her first year of life, month by month. Each month illustrates not only Lucy’s growth, but also the enjoyable aspects of the month, such as the cool April wind and October’s colorful leaves.

28. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, by Charles Schultz

Advertising

Every year, Linus van Pelt dutifully waits for the Great Pumpkin in the most sinister pumpkin patch, hoping his hero will arrive with lots of toys. And every year, the Great Pumpkin disappoints. But what keeps us in love with this tale is that we get the see the otherwise surly Lucy van Pelt’s love for her brother as she picks him up from the pumpkin patch at four in the morning, puts him to bed and gets extra candy for him while trick or treating.

29. The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

One day, Duncan goes looking for his crayons only to find out they have left him a list of grievances and they have gone on strike. Duncan must figure out a way to fix each of their grievances before they will work again. Much like real life, Daywalt and Jeffers illustrate the complexity of relationships and how we can work to make them better.

30. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats

A simply beautiful story about a young boy named Peter who wakes up to find the delight of the first snow fall of the season. Peter’s adventures of making snow angels and throwing snowballs are reminiscent of the innocence of a snowy day as a child.

31. The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson

Ferdinand is a gentle bull who would rather smell flowers than butt heads. Ferdinand’s life of contentment and gentle being reminds us all how to be happy with ourselves – as we are—even if we aren’t the same as others.

32. The Story about Ping, by Marjorie Flack, illustrated by Kurt Wiese

Ping the duck lives on a boat in the Yangtze River with his family. One night, Ping becomes separated from his family and through some misadventures figures out just how much he loves them. Ping’s genuine love of his family encourages readers to cherish time with their own families.

33. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Eric Carle’s classic story follows a caterpillar as he evolves from an egg into a beautiful butterfly. This boldly illustrated story is captivating even as an adult.

The Runaway Bunny’s story is perhaps one of the most symbolic stories of how far a parent’s love will travel to keep a child safe. The simple illustrations make the book whimsical and enchanting.

35. The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg

Before Tom Hanks starred in the movie version of this renowned Christmas story, parents and children had been enjoying the tale for over 20 years. This story fills us all with the love and hope of the Christmas season, even if you don’t believe in Santa anymore.

7 Morning Rituals to Empower Your Day And Change Your Life

Most of your reality is not a given. It is shaped by your expectations, beliefs and thoughts you have formed about it. A big chunk of these beliefs and expectations are encoded into habits you integrate in your daily life.

Yes, some of these habits are formed unconsciously and can be counter-productive or limiting but conversely, you can consciously form positive habits that will transform and empower your life significantly.

This is a powerful point of departure that more and more people are becoming aware of. The most common trait of highly successful people is the recognition of the power they have in co-creating their reality through changing the way they think, believe or expect their reality to be.

One of the most effective ways of changing our belief patterns is through practising and maintaining daily rituals. Ancient traditions had clearly understood the power of rituals in reinforcing habits and changing the way we see and create our reality a long, long time ago.

Once again, if you look into the life history of any highly successful individual, you will find some form of ritual in their daily routine. Some of these rituals may seem banal or eccentric but don’t be deceived by appearances. Rituals are one of the most effective self-empowering tools freely available at the practitioner’s disposal – that is, you!

Below are some the easiest yet life-changing morning rituals you can do every day. Of course, you can have your own afternoon or bed-time rituals but morning rituals are extremely effective in empowering your day since they help you charge yourself before it all starts.

1. Gratitude

Feeling gratitude and appreciation for those little signs and moments of joy happening in your life is probably one of the most overlooked or underestimated rituals. It is a perfect morning ritual to start your day on a very positive key.

Advertising

The real power of gratitude is that it makes you pick out and focus on what is working in your life – what is in tune with your being as a whole. It is selectively positive. It reinforces happiness and positivity by shedding light on those awesome things, small or big, that grace your everyday living.

Quite often, we just pick out the pain points, the problems, the bottle necks, whatever it is that is not working in our life and causing friction, anxiety and unhappiness. This is like constantly rewriting the script of your life with a negative or tragic overtone. Your subconscious mind follows faithfully that script you write whether it is a negative or positive one.

So feeling gratitude is undoubtedly an immensely empowering ritual. Start your day by being thankful for those positive things that happened the previous day or throughout the week. It could be something really petty and small. It doesn’t matter. You might be grateful for an unexpected visit from an old friend, a beautiful encounter with a kind stranger, a new opportunity or whatever it is that shines your way. Do it every morning and see what happens during the day.

2. Writing Down Your Most Important Tasks

This is a very practical ritual. Start your day by identifying and writing down from one to three of the most important tasks you need to complete during that day. These tasks are ones which support important long term goals that are aligned to your purpose, passion or general direction in life.

For example, if writing a book or building an online community are important long term goals which are aligned to your personal growth, then an important task for the day might be finishing off a particular page or two of the book or coming up with fresh content ideas for the online community.

What is important with this ritual is that you identify these tasks and complete them as early in the day as possible. Of course, you will have other tasks apart from the ones you will write down but, these are tasks which can be tackled later or batched up and carried out in one go.

Advertising

Writing down your most important tasks in the morning helps you focus your day and life according to what is essential. It helps you prioritize and manage your time better. As a result, you simplify your life by applying your focus and energy on what really counts for your overall life progress.

3. Affirm Your Goals in Writing or Drawing

This is similar to the previous idea but different in its application and purpose. Writing down your most important tasks of the day is a way to have a concrete structure of action to follow. Affirming your goals, on the other hand, is a very powerful way of crystallizing your vision and goals in life into your everyday mental space.

Writing down or doodling your goals on a piece of paper helps you externalize those goals by giving them form. In return, they are reflected back in your subconscious mind and thus, reinforcing them and integrating them more wholly.

An example of this would be writing down “I am achieving greater success in my career” or “I am becoming healthier and stronger through my exercise.” Notice the present tense being used as a way to tell yourself you are in the process already. Remember the life script we subconsciously follow? You are basically modifying the script to be applied now in the present.

Drawing or doodling can be equally, or even more, effective (if you are more of a visual person) as it summarizes a graphical representation of your goals. For example, if your goal is to build a new house or live in another country, you can draw the house or draw things that symbolise the country you want to live in.

4. Practice Qi Gong Exercises

According to Chinese philosophy, Qi (pronounced ‘Chee’) means the life force or energy inherent in all things;[1] and Qi Gong is the practice to cultivate and circulate that energy in your body. This may sound esoteric or complicated but actually, Qi Gong is really a set of simple exercises aimed at increasing your health and vitality.

Advertising

There are numerous forms and practices available for free through the online media. As a morning ritual, I recommend following these simple exercises by Qi Gong master Lee Holden:

5. Drink Hot Water with Lemon

Simply add a slice of lemon in a glass of hot water and drink one every morning. This is a very simple ritual I follow faithfully every morning.

Apart from being a good source of vitamin C and a great way of flushing out toxins in the morning, it balances and maintains the PH levels in the body, reduces pain and inflammation in joints and knees and helps nourishing brain and nerve cells. Here are some more benefits of drinking hot water with lemon.

6. Rise Earlier

For example, you gain more time for doing exercise such as walking, cycling or Qi Gong as suggested above. You gain more time to be with yourself to reflect, meditate or, more importantly, carry out the other morning rituals.

So rising early can be seen as a foundation for all the other morning rituals. Many, like myself, find that they are more productive in the early hours of the day.

Also, various studies have shown that there are many other benefits from waking up an hour or two earlier in the morning. Sleeping early and waking up early helps the body attune with the earth’s circadian rhythms thus, promoting more restorative sleep. Other curious results from such studies show, for instance, that early risers tend to be more optimistic and can anticipate and solve problems more efficiently than the norm.[2]

Advertising

7. Listen to Uplifting Music

Uplifting music can have a direct impact on our mood, especially in the morning. It charges us emotionally and tunes us into a more positive outlook of the day ahead.

Most people wake up to music or listen to music as they commute to work. Very often, however, they tune in to a radio or randomly pick a playlist from their device. Being more selective and conscious of the music you listen to in the morning can have a great impact on your day and life in general.

It’s funny how we try to choose music according to our mood. For example if you are feeling down or disappointed by something, you are more prone to listen to music that reflects that mood – for instance blues, sad songs or downtempo music. This has the effect of reinforcing that mood. What you need to do is the exact opposite and retune your mood by listening to music that beats to a different tune than that mood.

Try to listen to more uplifting music in the morning even if, or especially if, your mood does not dictate so.